Adrenaline Shots & Espresso Shots: Is it any wonder that our current culture is both a coffee culture and a highly stressed culture?
As a society, we seem to be gravitating towards all kinds of stimulants - from physical and chemical to emotional and electrical – and at a rate that is not only increasing, but alarming. Coffee, nicotine, and sugar consumption, television watching and video gaming, along with fast paced and over-worked lifestyles are all obvious indicators that the culture in which we find ourselves today is not as much a coffee culture as it is an adrenaline culture.
Adrenaline, commonly known as ‘the stress hormone’ and scientifically known as ‘epinephrine,’ is a chemical mediator of the body’s stress response. What that means is that whenever someone is exposed to stress adrenaline is produced and released into the bloodstream, affecting the function of every single cell, tissue and organ in the body. This stimulus-response phenomenon is commonly known as the “fight or flight response,” which, by definition, is an instinctive physiological response to life-threatening stressors which pose a direct threat to our safety & survival - a hungry 6-foot tall grizzly bear approaching your campsite or a crazed gunman ready to open fire at your workplace, for instance. In today’s world, however, adrenaline-mediated fight or flight responses are being triggered above and beyond the normal instinct of survival. Instead, everyday stressors which pose no direct threat to our immediate survival are triggering the fight or flight response and provoking subsequent adrenaline release. Such stressors include personal & family obligations, career & financial considerations, conventional & genetically modified food consumption, environmental chemical exposure, as well as a host of other factors perceived by the body to be ‘foreign.’
This type of daily, ongoing “inappropriate” release of adrenaline in response to inert stimuli sets us up for what can ultimately be considered an adrenaline dependency, or addiction: needing to stay “up” so you can stay “on.” This is an unhealthy and dangerous state of affairs.
Two Choices: Survival or Healing
The human body is designed to always be operating in one of two modes during any given moment: the mode of survival, and the mode of healing. So long as there is no real threat to survival, the body should be engaged in the activities of healing itself and maintaining total body balance. When, however, the body is preoccupied with the crucial task of defending itself from real or perceived threats to survival, it comes at the expense of healing and balance.
As long as these threats are temporary, the time taken away from self-healing is insignificant and poses no long-term threat to our health. In keeping with our example above, once the threat of the bear or the gunman has passed, everything should return to normal, and self-healing should resume. All is well again. What is happening today, however, is that our bodies have become programmed to be in a sustained mode of survival because of accumulated inappropriate fight or flight triggered by common everyday stresses. Our bodies are being flooded with adrenaline on an ongoing basis, leaving less and less time and space for self-healing. Consequently physical injuries are healing at much slower raters. Traumatic emotional events are no longer events, but long processes drawn out over months or years. Think about it: how often have you thought or said to someone, “that person needs to just get over it.” This is easier said than done, considering the rush of adrenaline that comes with anger, bitterness, or resentment. You see, adrenaline is a drug. The more we get, the more we seek.
The Solution: Stop The Stimulation
- Less TV, especially negative, fear-based programs; More books, articles, educational TV
- Less video games & web surfing; More outdoor activities, athletics (like REAL surfing!)
- Less fear, murder, anger & violence; More peace, compassion, healing, & forgiveness
- Less conventional and processed food; More organic and whole food
- NO genetically modified food; ONLY food as found in Nature
- Less coffee, caffeinated tea, & chocolate; More herbal teas, fresh juice & water
- Less foul and angry language; More kind & pleasing words
- Less blaming others; More personal responsibility
- Less chest breathing; More belly breathing
- Less lying, cheating & stealing; More truth, loyalty, and philanthropy
After all, life is short. So you might as well be happy, healthy and a good person.
Blog Information Provided By Dr. David Revivo, Chiropractor.
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